April 15–18, 2018
Breitenbush Hot Springs
To register, call Breitenbush:
503-854-3320
Visit www.breitenbush.com
Beloved Earth, Boundless Sky
Join us for a few spring days in the forest, to weave our love for the world into wholeness with the spacious, unbounded field of our hearts.
Most of us long to center our lives in grace and beauty, kindness and creativity, strength and possibility – and then we have to rush off to work. Or we read the day’s featured headlines: Inequality and injustice. Poverty here, greed and corruption there. Our personal joy and personal sorrow mingle with deep social concerns. Unattended suffering on one hand, and unimaginable love on the other.nan
Pulled every day in contradictory directions, the tensions skew our inner compass. Coupled with the practical tasks of day to day life, living fully and effectively right now can feel like epic work. But closing our eyes, numbing ourselves, or succumbing to despair do not offer a path forward personally, culturally, or spiritually.
Stepping away
Stepping away for retreat provides time to recalibrate to a wider view. That fresh view can mend tears in the fabric and reweave our scattered threads into beautiful whole cloth. With practices and reflection drawn from a range of traditions, we rekindle our natural sense of belonging to the beloved earth and the boundless sky.
In morning, afternoon, and evening sessions, we will incorporate breath awareness and meditation, compassionate perspectives, prayer and reflection, dialogue, movement, and song.
The schedule will include optional early morning meditation and chanting before breakfast, and allow time for soaking, resting, hiking, sitting by the river, sharing this path with friends.
We are body and spirit, all one. Beloved earth and boundless sky. In these few days of spring retreat, we’ll tend to both, shaking some dust off our hearts for whatever lies ahead.
Facilitated by Living Earth founder Betsy Toll.
Notes on Betsy’s background are here. She has offered retreats and workshops in spring and fall at Breitenbush for many years, incorporating practices and views from eastern and western traditions. This year, she returns from India on April 1, and is looking forward to touching ground at her favorite Pacific Northwest ashram for this spring workshop.
Questions? Contact Betsy.